Russia has halted the import of bananas and flowers from Ecuador, weeks after Quito agreed to an arms deal with the United States that will result in Ukraine receiving Soviet-era military equipment from the South American country, AFP reports.
Russia's agricultural monitoring body, Rosselkhoznadzor, said in a statement that the permits of five Ecuadorian exporters had been suspended since Tuesday due to the detection of pests.
According to Russian media, nine out of ten bananas imported from Russia come from Ecuador.
Restrictions on imports of some flowers will take effect on Friday. Ecuador is one of the world's biggest exporters of flowers, especially roses.
The decisions come after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's January 10 announcement that he had accepted a U.S. offer to replace Soviet-era equipment with modern American weapons in a deal worth $200 million.
The United States said the Ecuadorian equipment would be sent to Ukraine to help Kiev in its conflict with Russia.
The deal angered Moscow, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying last week that Ecuador had made a "reckless decision under serious pressure from external stakeholders."
Zakharova added that Ecuador has a contractual obligation not to transfer such equipment to a third party without Russia's consent.
Noboa said that Quito had every right to carry out the deal because it involved "scrap."
The Ecuadorian leader talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during the swearing-in ceremony of Argentina's new president Javier Miley in Buenos Aires. / BGNES
